'Field of Dreams' Faces Conflict

Updated Nov. 7, 2012 1:18 a.m. ET

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For most of the past 23 years, the people of Dyersville, Iowa, have felt nothing but pride over the town's main tourist attraction: the iconic baseball diamond carved out of a cornfield and featured in the 1989 movie 'Field of Dreams.' But for some, those good feelings have recently turned sour.
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Justin Dillion from Dyer, Ind., visited the field. Last fall, an investment group led by a Chicago-area couple agreed to buy the farm from its longtime owners and then unveiled plans to turn much of the 193-acre farm into a 24-field youth-baseball complex, with a 'training dome,' a community center and 'clubhouses' for lodging.
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About two dozen neighbors of the farm and other Dyersville residents complained that the development would exacerbate the town's flooding problem, cause traffic snarls, and generally worsen life in the close-knit 4,050-person town. A flurry of litigation ensued. Here, Mr. Dillion sat on bleachers.
Jenn Ackerman for The Wall Street Journal…

The genesis of controversy dates to early 2010, when the long-standing owners of the farm, Don and Becky Lansing, decided that after 21 years of hosting the attraction, free of charge, it was time to sell. Shown, the site's farmhouse.
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After listening to several offers, the Lansings ultimately settled on Denise and Michael Stillman. Shown, the site's souvenir shop.
Jenn Ackerman for The Wall Street Journal…

The couple proposed to leave the original field and its cornstalk backdrop untouched as a tourist attraction. On the surrounding acreage they'd build a complex designed to attract traveling youth baseball and softball teams from all over the Midwest and beyond.
Jenn Ackerman for The Wall Street Journal…

The situation has roiled the town and caused a rift among locals. On one side: those eager for the jobs and revenue promised by the development, called 'All-Star Ballpark Heaven.' On the other side, those who think the project will do too much damage to the town.
Jenn Ackerman for The Wall Street Journal…